Container for construction toys and like sets



May 12, 1931.

A. c. GILBERT 1,804,927

CONTAINER FOR CONSTRUCTION TOYS AND LIKE SETS Filed March 8, 1928 fig. I.

I5 Sheets-Sheet l QQ QQoIQQQOQ 'lii@l@ A. C. GILBERT May 12, 1931.

CONTAINER FOR CONSTRUCTION TOYS AND LIKE SETS Filed March 8, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 O 3 F0 0 O O 0A9] W@, I 3 (W? WM May 12, 1931. A. c. GILBERT 1,304,927

CONTAINER FOR CONSTRUCTION TOYS AND LIKE SETS Filed March a, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet s oooooono Patented May 12, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED C. GILBERT, OF HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN. CONNECTICUT, A. CORPORATION OF MARYLAND CONTAINER FOR CONSTRUCTION TOYS AND LIKE SETS Application filed March 8, 1928. Serial No. 260,221.

My invention relates to a container for construction toys and like sets, and more particularly to a container provided with a tray or trays in which toy construction elements, or other articles, may be received.

It is customary in containers for construction toys and other articles to rovide a tray or trays in Which certain of t e articles, as, for example, particular elements of a toy set,

may be segregated or separated for convenience or to render them more readily accessible. As one of the objects of my invenvention, I contemplate a container in which a tray is provided and in which means is provided for supporting the tray more firmly in place than in containers heretofore known.

As another object of my invention, I contemplate a container and a tray for a container in which the tray may be readily moved from its normal position in the con-" tainer and supportedin a position where not only are the articles in the tray accessible,

but those in the bottom of the container as 26 well.

A further object of my invention resides in a means for mounting and securing various kinds of articles in the tray, as, for example, the elements of a toy construction set.

In one of its more specific applications, my invention relates to a container for the elements of a toy construction set, which are provided with openings therein spaced according to a standard dimension, in order that they may beassembled together in various ways to simulate full sized structures.

As an additional object of my invention,

I contemplate a tray for a container for the elements of a toy construction set in which the tray is provided with openings spaced therein according to the same standard as that selected for the toy elements in order that the tray may be used as an element itself in the construction of toys. Still another feature of my invention resides in a tray having spaced openings therein in which the openings may be used in securing the various elements of the toy construction set to the tray when used as such in the container.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed. J r

In the drawings,

F g. 1 is aperspective view of a container having a tray made in accordance with my invention supported therein;

Fig. 2 is a view of the container shown in Fig. 1, but showing the tray sup-ported thereon in a different position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken along line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3; I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end view of the container shown in Fig. 2; I

F g. 6 is a plan view of the tray itself;

. Fig. 7 1s a front elevation of the tray shown in Fig. 6

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the tray shown 1n Fig. 6;

Fig, 9 is a plan view of the lowermost tray shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the tray shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the tray shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view, taken along 11ne12-12 of Fig. 2;

Flg. 13 is a view of a construction toy in which the tray shown in Fig. 6 has been used as an element;

Fig. 14 is a section taken along line 14-14 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a sectional view along line 1515 of Fig. 13; and

Fig. 16 is a sectional view along line 1616 of Fig. 13.

In certain of its aspects, my invention is particularly useful in connection with toy construction element containers, and as a sultable and preferred embodiment of my inventionlI shall now describe the same with particular reference to such a container. Referring then to the drawings in which I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the reference numeral 17 indicates, 1n general, a container for toy elements, or other articles, which comprises in general a box-like body 18 provided with a hinged cover 19 adapted to be locked in closed position by catches 20 and 21, and supported in open position by brace 22. In the upper part of body 18 is a relativel shallow tray 23 preferably made out of s eet material and provided with side walls 24, 25, 26 and 27, and laterally extending flanges 28, 29, 30 and 31, which when the tray is in position in the container areadapted to rest on the upper edges of the body 18 to support the tray, and which when the container is closed are secured between these upper edges and the cover 19 (see Figs. 3 and 4). The ends of flanges 28, 29,30 and 31 are cut away, as at 32, 33, 34 and 35 to permit the tray to be supported in an inclined :position on the upper edges of the box 18, in which position the tray reclines against the cover 19, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The lowermostflange, in the present instance the flange 30, serves to prevent the tray from being displaced endwise of the box 18.

The tray 23 is provided with suitable means for securing articles thereto, in the preferred form illustrated herein this means taking the form of spaced openings 36, which are preferably spaced according to the standard spacing of the elements of the toy constructlon set. The elements 37 shown in the drawings as supported on tray 23 are the usual elements rovided in construction sets and need not described herein in detail. As a simple and preferred means for securing the elements in place, there is provided for each element 37 one or more clips 38, which are passed through suitable openingsin the elements, and through appropriate openings 36 in the tray, theends 39 and 40 of clips 3.8 being bent outwardly from one another, as shown in Fig. 12, to secure the elements to the tray.

In carrying out my invention in connection with toy construction sets, I not only provide a tray for the support of the elements in the container, but also prefer to provide a tray which may be used as an element of the construction'set itself. To this end, I not only provide 0 enings in the bottom of the conta1ner,whic are spaced according to. the standard spacin of the toy construction set, but I also provi e standardslpaced openings 41 along the median lines oft e side walls of the container and openings 42 evenly spaced along the median lines of the flanges 28, 29, 30 and 31, all of these openings being spaced according to the same standard.

As illustrative of a single use to which the tray may be put when used as a construction element, I now refer to Figs. 13-16, inclusive, in which there is shown a truck, generally designated by the reference numeral 43, and in which the tray 23 acts as the body element. In the truck shown in these figures, the side walls 25' and 26 of tray 23 serve as means for supporting other elements, as, for

example,plates44 and 45, which form the sides of the truck body, bolts, or other suitablefastening means 46, being passed throu h suitable openings in plates 44 and 45, and t rough the standard spaced openings in the side walls 25 and 26. If desired, the flanges 29 and 30 may support a pair of brackets 47 and 48, to which may be secured overlapping plates 49 and 50, by means of angle pieces 51, plates 49 and 50 forming the seat of the truck, the back of the seat being formed by overlapping lates 52 and 53 which are secured to the p ates forming the seat b means of angle pieces 54. If desired, the b0 y of the truck may be stifl'ened by suitable means, as,

. for example, strips 55 and 56, which are connected together at a central portion by suitable means, as, for example, bolt 57, and which are secured to the bottom of the tray 23 in spaced relation by means of angle pieces 57, 58 59 and 60. The truck 43 may be supporte if desired, on wheels 61, the wheels on but one side of the truck being shown herein, wheels 61 being supported on the truck body by suitable means, as, for example, brackets 62, while a tongue 'or shaft 63 is provided for drawing the truck along the floor.

In certain of the larger toy chests for holding a great many and variety of articles it may be desirable for convenience to provide more than one tray. Referring again to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, it will be seen that below tray 23 in container 17 are two transverse partitions 64 and 65, which divide the bottom of the container into a plurality of compartments 66, 67 and 68, in which various elements of a toy construction set, or other articles, may be kept. At the upper end of compartment 67 and below tray 23 is a second tray 69 which preferably is provided with a substantially flat bottom 7 0, side walls 71, 72, 73 and 74, and end flanges 75 and 76 which overlie the upper edges of partitions 64 and in order to support tray 69 in place in the container. The bottom 70 of tray 69 is provided with spaced openings 77 for supporting toy elements, or other articles, thereon and in the preferred form these holes are spaced according to the same standard spacing as the holes in the toy elements. The

side walls 71, 7 2, 73 and 74 are provided with holes 78, which are evenly spaced along the median lines of these walls, while flanges 75 and 76 are provided with holes 79, which are evenly spaced along the median lines of the flanges, all of these holes being spaced according to the same standard as that used in the toy elements. -Various elements of the toy set may be secured to the tray 69 by suitable fastening means 38 in much the same manner as in tra 23.

It will be rea ily understood that tray 69 may be used in constructing toys in much the same manner as tray 23, and that I have thus not only provided a toy chest having trays in which various articles may be segregated and secured against displacement, but when this chest is used in connection with toy building elements of the class described, I have provided additional elements WhlCh may be used in constructing a variety of toys heretofore not within the scope of such toy construction sets, and while I have described but a single toy construction in which one of these elements is used, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that anunlimited variety oftoys may be constructed from these elements, or the tray or trays disclosed herein may be used as bases on which to assemble toy constructions. For example, the tray 23 may be inverted with its open side downward and secured to a suitable support by screws which may pass through flanges 28, 29, 30 and 31, the holes 36 in the bottom of the tray providing means for mounting various toy constructions on the tra While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is not to be limited to all the details shown but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a toy chest or the like, a chest body, a cover for said chest and a relatively flat shallow tray, said tray being made of sheet material and provided with integrally formed laterally projecting flat flanges thereon adapted to overlie a portion of said body to support said tray in the chest, said flanges being clamped between the cover and portion of the body when the cover is in closed position.

2. In a toy chest or the like, a chest body, a relatively flat cover, and a tray, said tray being made of sheet material and provided with a relatively flat bottom, side walls and oppositely disposed laterally projecting flat flanges at the upper edges of said side walls, said flanges being clamped between the upper edges of said body and the cover when said tray is supported in the chest and the cover closed.

3. In a toy chest or the like, a chest body, a'relatively flat cover for the same, and a tray, said tray being made out of sheet material and provided with a substantially flat bottom, integrally formed side walls and oppositely disposed laterally projecting flanges at the upper edges of said side walls, said flanges being adapted to rest on the upper edges of said chest body when the tray is received therein and to be clamped between said edges and the cover of the chest when the latter is in closed position, the tray including said flanges being carried within the marginal edges of the chest body and concealed from view when the cover is closed.

4. In a toy set, a chest body, a cover for the same, and a tray provided wfith end flanges adapted to be received between the body and the cover to secure the tray in place when the cover is shut, said tray being provided wit-h corner notches adapted to engage the walls of said chest body when the tray is placed against the cover in an inclined position.

5. In a toy construction set wherein certain of the elements thereof are rovided with openings evenly spaced accor ing to a standard dimension, the combination of a chest for said elements, an element of said set provided with openings spaced according to the standard spacing and adapted to have other elements of the set assembled thereon in various relationships in toy constructions and for packing in said chest, and means for suspending said element from the side walls of said chest, means including a cover for the chest which engages a part of the element when the latter is suspended in the chest and in cooperation with the suspending means holds said .part against movement.

6. In a toy construction set wherein certain of the elements thereof are provided with openings evenly spaced according to a standard dimension, the combination of a chest for said elements, an element of said set provided with openings spaced according to the standard spacing and adapted to have other elements of the set assembled thereon in various relations in toy constructions, and for packing in said chest, said element being shaped to fit within said chest body and having in tegrally formed laterally projecting flat flanges adapted to overlie a portion of said chest to support said element in the chest, and a cover for the chest which engages said flfimges to hold the element'immovably in the c est.

7. In a toy construction set wherein certain of the elements thereof are provided with openings evenly spaced according to a standard dimension, the combination of a chest for said elements and an element of said set provided with openings spaced according to the standard spacing and adapted to have other elements of the set assembled thereon in various relations in toy constructions and for packing in said chest, said element being provided with a relatively flat bottom, side walls and laterally projecting flat flanges at the upper edges of said side walls, said flanges being cut away at their ends to provide notches adapted to engage the walls of the chest body when the tray is placed against the cover in an inclined position.

8. In a toy construction set wherein the elements thereof are adapted to be assembled together in various toy constructions, the combination of a chest for said elements, and an element of said set adapted to have other elements of the set assembled thereon in various relations in toy constructions and for packing in' said chest, said element being provided with a relatively flat bottom, side Q walls and laterally projecting flat flan es at the upper edges of said side walls, said an es bein cut away at their ends to provlde note as adapted to engage the walls of the" chest body when the tray is placed against the cover in an inclined positn.-

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of March, 1928.

ALFRED G. GILBERT. 

